"Caught in the Net"
Through Nov. 19
Baldwin Theatre, Royal Oak
Recommended for ages 15-and-up
Tickets: $14-$16
Phone: (248) 541-6430
ROYAL OAK – Stagecrafters presents "Caught in the Net" by Ray Cooney through Nov. 19 at the Baldwin Theatre in downtown Royal Oak.
Side splitting and irreverent, this British farce is the sequel to "Run for Your Wife," presented by Stagecrafters two seasons ago, but stands on its own as it rejoins the protagonist, a London bigamist taxi driver, 17 years later as he finds himself this time in an internet-age dilemma.
Although John Smith (played by John Nowaczyk) appears ordinary, he has secretly been married to two women for the past 18 years, Mary (Beth Tetrault) and Barbara (Sandi Glover). The relative calm of this arrangement is set to unravel when Gavin (Kein Onickel) and Vicki (Ashley Shamoon), John's children each from a different wife, connect on the internet. Both having the same last name and a father who is a taxi driver, they decide they must meet.
John enlists the help of his best friend, Stanley (Joe Worthington), the only one who knows of John's dual lives, in his struggle to keep his children apart. In the process the two men don disguises, offer far-fetched explanations, and dodge discovery as chaos ensues side-by-side on stage in the two households.
Meanwhile, Stanley is neglecting to take his aged father (Phil Berns) on holiday. Fortunately, the father doesn't notice that the London flat is not a seaside guesthouse and goes about enjoying his vacation amidst the unfolding mayhem.
Beth Tetrault and Sandi Glover (as the wives, Mary and Barbara, respectively) return from 'Run For Your Wife.'
"If you saw the first play, 'Run for Your Wife,' you'll love this one! But the play stands on its own and it's not necessary to be familiar with the first to totally enjoy this theatre experience," says director Linda Zublick. "It is interesting working with some cast members again; they have a real feel for some of the humor that was in the first play that appears again in this one. The challenge for both of them, however, is that in this play their characters are 17 years older and mothers of teenagers, so they have to adapt their portrayals of those characters to fit the new circumstances."
Staging a farce has its own unique set of challenges.
Zublick adds, "You will walk away laughing – and don't try to figure out the deep message under the surface because there isn't one. It's just pure entertainment!"
